many cases, they've been out in front of the blm. the issue there is the state fracking regulations don't pertain to federal lands. and in many provinces of the west, we'll have fee land, state land and we've got public land. and so we would like to think with the development of our proposed rule a high degree of outreach and public input and that's still ongoing during the comment period that our regulations will be very much complimentary to and very much in line with what the states are doing. it's very important they be in line. >> thank you. >> let me ask about that. the public lands -- you're saying the state rules would not apply. so you're saying state regulations in utah would not apply to fracking. >> that is correct. >> was there a consideration to say that they would, or is there a need for blm to create a whole new group of regulators and now go in and evaluate this? >> yes, mr. chairman. our authority has come under two principle statutes. the leasing act and the federal land policy management act. and so our regulation

the blm's rule is consistent. on may 11th, 2012, the blm published the proposed rule in the federal register beginning a 60 day public comment period. straight forward measures outlined in the proposed rule include, disclosure of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing operations with appropriate protections for trade secrets, assurance of well born activity to minimize the risk of fracturing fluids

the blm's rule is consistent.

finish. >> would this be mandatory in the blm area? >> it doesn't apply -- it doesn't differentiate between private lands and federal lands, but it does apply only where epa is the issuing permitting authority for uic. states assume that authority, many states like oklahoma have assumed that authority, and it does not apply to those states although they may find it useful. >> right. mr. pool, obviously, that would be your decision to make in the days ahead. i need to give two additional minutes back to mr. kelly who only got three here. >> okay. and i thank the chairman. i'm going to ask you two things and, very quickly, mr. pool. the reason i ask because pennsylvania -- [inaudible] and i think you familiar with the movie gas land, yes? >> i'm sorry, familiar with what, sir? >> the movie gas land? >> gas land. i am somewhat familiar. >> okay. on may 11th a spokesman for the regional everything pa office said, now, they tested 59 wells endemic and found that the fracking had nothing to do with any contamination of the water. and he says

the blms proposal would impact tribal minerals in the county. yet despite this fact, blm has failed to comply with its legal duty to consult with indian tribes. the blm rule will kill tribal jobs in the oil and gas industry. blm has failed to work with the indian tribe regarding the proposed rule. in summary, local governments, many, many mineral producing states, and affected indian tribes are all concerned with this very ill advised unneeded redundant rule. i would be happy to answer questions. thank you. >> thank you. this is a letter from national council of american indians, outlining some of the things you said. >> mr. chairman? i would without objecting ask for similar courtesy. i ask that at this time, a response to the testimony this morning from our colleague mr. waxman be entered into the record. i also ask that a similar response, rebutting the characterization of the research from the sierra club, cited this morning, also be entered into the record at this time. >> without objection. >> i thank the chair. >> thank you, mr. chairman.

the federal government is in any better position to regulate fracking than the states and blm did not claim the states are not doing a good job. the president's blm merely asserts they are proposing the regulation on the basis of public concern. ironically, this public concern is arguably been fostered by the uscpa. in a multipronged attack they have lambasted public energy producers and fracking for alleged problems, but later the epa has only whispered that corrections when science proved the additional epa assertion invalid. this all happened while continuing to issue a stream of regulations affecting hydraulic fracturing before the current federally mandated study has even been completed. epa administrator jackson stated under oath before this subcommittee there is not a single documented case where hydraulic fracturing has contaminated groundwater. this positive report and this record is due in part to the physics there is another chart that i want to be able to put up there. fracking activity takes place a mile and sometimes well more, more than a mile below the aquifer line. an

. >> we have some public plants in colorado, 23 million acres between the forest service and the blm, places where people come and recreation. we know how to handle this. >> the fire started by lightning is now 20% contained. four members of a japanese climbing team are presumed dead following an avalanche in the amount mckinley. hundreds of volunteers searched for the climbers. the service officials say that they were swept away and buried beneath the snow. a fifth time a survived. in texas, a different kind of extreme weather has cost nearly $2 billion in damage. that is a preliminary price tag from its insurance company. a storm with hail the size of baseballs hit wednesday. this punched holes. this is a lot of damage there. >> a lot of cars going into auction. >> i guess you are right. >> we have been in this extremely lovely weather pattern. >> we just fall into this by accident. at what point does it flipped over? we'll talk about this in the insta-weather forecast. >> a gorgeous evening down there. the current conditions make the temperatures very nice. 68 at the airport and do

we are making it happen in a place like north dakota as well as the other blm labs. another area -- i choose this as an example because of the people who invited me here. utah. some people in the state of utah say they have shut down oil and gas production. i was there one month ago with some of the leadership and we announce to the environmental community as well as the oil and gas communities have come together and we in the blm and i sign a record of decision that will allow over 3000 wells to move into the area in be constructed. they will be constructed in the right way with the newest technology using horizontal drilling and staying away from certain areas in doing that kind of thing. we have other announcements we will be making soon in terms of the oil and gas production in utah. because of the way we are bringing people together. i give you those three examples. i might as well give you another sense senate term rakowski was up. few minutes ago. -- senator mark caskey was in here a minute ago. this is something i am very proud of. the 22 million acre holding

the leadership of steve black and bob, director of the blm and so many others who have helped us, we have made that a huge priority for the united states of america, and we have permitted 29 projects up to this point in time. of large scale solar, wind and geothey were many projects on the public balance of the united states. and some of those projects are not only constructed but improving energy to the grid right now. we have a lot more on the way as well. our hope is that by -- our hope is by the time we get to the end of 2012, that we will have permitted over 10,000 megawatts of power on the public lands of the united states of america. and we haven't stopped there just on the onshore. we'd live and effort that has included the governors all along the arctic, where we are working with them to map out and have mapped out significant potential for offshore wind development along the atlantic, and are doing the same thing in other places, including the state of oregon where we believe there is huge energy potential for offshore wind. just at few days ago, as part of what we did in t

and her husband, bob buford, moved boo the blm. you know, they were the private sector's friends. they could do whatever they wanted with public lands. many of us saw colorado as the place -- the lungs of the nation where people kind of came to breathe. and we wanted to preserve this. and wanted ave this put away for future generations. and they didn't see it that way. so there was some real hoopty do, as you know. we went back and forth. there was the era of the colorado crazies, and there were all of these things. but it still continues to go. now, you know, some of it -- i realize i'm running out of time, and i could talk all night on this stuff, as you can tell, being a recovering politician in the 12-step process is tough. you turn on the lights. jim claims i open the refrigerator door and i talk for five minutes and realize i'm talking to celery. i've tried to give a lot of thought to what was different in the '70s. what was different? why were we so willing to go out and risk and take on all of these institutions that had been here? you know, most of us were newbys that had

that the environmental community as well as the oil and gas community had come together, and we in the blm and idot signed a letter of recognition allows 3,500 wells to move into the natural gas and be constructed. they're going to be constructed in the right way with the newest technology using horizontal drilling and limiting surface to surface and staying away from ripe areas and doing that kind of thing. we have other announcements we'll be making soon. this in utah, because of the way that we are bringing people together. so i give you those three examples, and i might as we give awe fourth example since senator murkowski was up here a few minutes ago. our work in alaska, in the antarctic has been exemplariy and something i'm very proud of. in a holding set up a long time ago for oil and gas production, there is not a way in which it will be accessed through a place called cd-5. con connecticutic khouw will move up. a fine accomplishment. when you look at the beauford and the arctic seas knowing it is not an easy decision and we have not made the final decisions about what we will do

the only land that we'd possibly seek from the federal government was blm land. that doesn't require any -- anything from the county because it's already in federal trust, so we weren't seeking land like the old reservation that's in private hands now. i will tell you in the beginning we did seek that land, and it was to make a statement to the federal government saying we want it back immediately. if you look at our first amended complaint, we had changed that because we understood that it -- it ruffled the feathers of the counties saying you need to go through the process. we're not denying the fact that we have to go through the process and we surely will, but right now it's not about land. it's about restoration, and it's always been about restoration. >> i appreciate that. thank you for the indulgence, mr. chairman. appreciate the clarification. >> any other questions. >> if not, i want -- >> mr. chair, i'd like to just acknowledge or underscore what you said about congress' ability or power or authority to recognize. as of april 2011, according to the gao r

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under the lead of steve black and the director of the blm and so many of the people who held this we have made that a huge priority for the united states of america. we have permitted 29 projects up to this point in time. large-scale solar, wind, and geothermal projects on the public lands of the estate's. some of those projects are not only constructed, but contributing energy to the great right now. and we have -- we have a lot more on the ways will. our hope is that by -- our hope is that by that time that we get to the end of 2012 that we will have permitted over 10,000 megawatts of power on the public lands of the united states of america. and we have not stopped there just on on short, we have led an effort that has included the governors all along the atlantic , where we are working with them to map out and have mapped out significant potential for offshore wind development along the atlantic and during the same thing in other places, including the state of oregon where we believe there is huge energy potential for offshore wind. just a few days ago as part of what we did in t

state regulators have been doing a good job, is it necessary for us to come in the blm the epa and impose different layers of regulation on top of what the state is already doing a perp be doing quiet so as you are aware, the proposal came out some weeks ago now to review the franking on federal lands. different than on state lands. we understand that, but again if what we are doing is imposing regulations that are further complicating the process because it's either duplicative or a level of redundancy that just doesn't make sense, are we really helping here? i think that is so we need to be looking to paradise said that states are doing a pretty good job and have been doing so for a long period of time. you do have certain areas in a country where phrack in his new. and so, the question is what kind of disclosure is going on in those states. what are the regulation scrapes but again, i am when he says piously that what the state. >> lisa, thank you. >> i have been booted off the state run a frightening colleague, ken salazar. >> no, you succeeded. thank you so much. [applause] >> a hand

we've got 1600 permits from the blm sitting out there right now that have been delayed three years.hes on numerous different things such as the strategic petroleum reserve. anytime the president wants to tap that, all it says is we should replace that because that's a reserve. replace it and open up more federal land. is this an opportunity for job growth? recently, the house energy action team went across the country from all different places. i was up in north dakota. i have watched north dakota in just the last few years not only pascal cal but has now passed alaska. they don't have enough housing. i paid more than $200 a night at a best western. they have economic growth and investments in america. we want to see that happen across america. >> congressman, obviously, you're going to have support from your party, but what are the odds of these acts, these bills getting passed, picked up by the senate and then approved by the administration? >> what's unique is every single one of these bills have bipartisan support out of committee. we don't know what happens in the senate becaus

land that we possibly see from the federal government was yelling land that doesn't require dashing blm land because it's already in federal trust. so we weren't seeking land like the old reservation that is in private hands know. i will tell you in the beginning we did seek that land, and it was to make a statement to the federal government saying we won it back immediately. if you look at our first amended complaint, we have changed that because we understood that it ruffled the feathers of the county saying you need to go through the process. we are not deny the fact we have to go through the process, and we surely will. but right now it's not about land. it's about restoration, and it's always been about restoration. >> i appreciate the. thank you for indulging, mr. chairman. appreciate the dedication spent any other questions? if not i want to -- >> yes, i would like to acknowledge what you said about congress' ability to empower afford to recognize it as of april 2011, according to this gao report, of the 564 tracks that have been recognize, 530 of them were through congress. so i